STYLE ADVICE

Suicide Squad style lessons

By Matt Glazebrook, 6 August 2016

Super-heroism-wise, DC Comics latest batch of cinematic mutants and misfits are the apparently the worst of the worst. In terms of style, however, the Suicide Squad stand head and shoulders above their summer blockbuster brethren. Here are four big trends the flick taps into...

Picture: Rex

El Diablo's skate-ready Americana

Appropriately for a guy who shoots flames from his wrists, El Diablo's casual steez is straight fire. Just look at him in his highly coppable varsity bomber jacket, crisp white top, straight-leg chinos and retro trainers (Nike Cortez, perhaps?) – pyrokineticism aside, he wouldn't look out of place in a circa-2016 street-style round-up (even the face tatts have a certain cool-kid cachet).

Picture: Getty

American Football fashionista Victor Cruz is a recent real-life disciple of El Diablo's half-skater, half-preppy look, rocking his burgundy Letterman-style cover-up straight to the top of the casualwear class. Pro tip: a fresh white logo tee, like Cruz's, is a less aggressive alternative to the tight white vest sported by Suicide Squad's resident flamethrower.

Picture: Landmark

Captain Boomerang's 80s gangster chic

Jai Courtney's squad-member is a rage-filled assassin who uses a boomerang for some reason. But his real super power is his ability to stay on top of the recent Gosha Rubchinskiy-approved 80s Eastern bloc hard man trend while locked away in a maximum-security prison.

Picture: Flynet

Courtney's fellow countryman Liam Hemsworth put his own bid for the Captain Boomerang role late last year, cruising through LAX airport in an ace 80s track jacket, sporting suitably bushy and retro facial hair. Sadly, he forgot to pack a shearling-lined football manager's coat and thus missed out on another big superhero payday.

Picture: Landmark

Killer Croc's high fash hoodie

Serious need for moisturiser aside, Killer Croc delivers strong AW16 style goals when he's not eating people. This year's been the year that the hoodie finally entered the fashion canon, showing up on the catwalks, front rows and street-stylers' shoulders alike (often adorned with classic skate-brand logos like Thrasher). Its ascent has been helped by how good the slouchy loungewear staple looks layered with a more structured jacket – instantly elevated and offering strong silhouette potential.

Picture: Getty

Croc rocks his Kanye-worthy velour hooded top over a leather biker jacket but any almost any classic coat, from an overcoat to a MA-1 bomber, works. Check out Luka Sabbat here, smashing transitional dressing in a comfy-cool khaki sweat under a boxy black jacket, all while maintaining a careful daily skincare routine and not eating anyone.

Picture: Landmark

Harley Quinn's souvenir style

Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn dominated the early Suicide Squad publicity, and it's not hard to see why. With her punky take on early-80s roller-disco style incorporating 2016's favourite statement piece – the silky souvenir jacket – she gave the film instant fashion cred and a point of interest for those of us who don't know our DC Extended Universe from our Yeezy ungendered unitard.

Picture: Getty

For the full Harley Quinn 'effed-up All-American' vibe, you should probably pair your red and blue sukajan with a raglan-sleeved baseball tee and some short-shorts. But for a more accessible take on souvenir steez, do like this street-style hero and pair the satin bomber with a crisp white tee and simple black slacks, letting your Japanese-style embroidery do the talking.